Chapter Three

Eve wasn't surprised when she woke at the crack of dawn. The sun had barely risen over the horizon and the birds hadn't even started chirping yet. She could just see the first rays of the day peeking through the crack in the red curtains as she sat up in bed rubbing her eyes.

After a large yawn and a minute of stretching the ache out of her muscles, she swung her legs out of the bed, the plush carpet an odd feeling on the soles of her feet. Despite having all last night to let it sink in, she was still having a hard time believing that she'd been allowed to live in such a place...and with such a family.

Shaking her head, she pushed herself off the bed and moved to open the curtains, blinking at the shock of the morning light flooding her hazel irises. But a smile quickly found its way onto her face as she caught sight of the crystal blue lake in the distance and the dirt path that seemed to lead to it.

'Looks like the perfect place to take a morning run...' she murmured, nodding to herself and making her decision. She walked over to her chest of drawers, pulling out some fresh underwear, followed by a dark red sports bra, a black tank top, some red shorts with a layer of black mesh on top of them, and some white ankle socks before retreating into the bathroom, being mindful to lock the door behind her.

After splashing water on her face and brushing her teeth, she stripped out of her pajamas, starting with her grey t-shirt. As the fabric fell to the floor, Eve's eyes fell on a deep pink scar just beneath her rib cage that was reflected in the mirror. She ran her fingers along it, grimacing when she felt the patch of rough flesh beneath them. Her eyes fell closed as she forced a mantra through her lips, 'Close your eyes...count to ten...do that and things will be fine again...' She whispered those words again and again through gritted teeth, fighting to silence the memories racing through her mind.

Keep screaming, little girl! No one can hear you!

Hold her arms! Hold her arms!

Ooh, she's a feisty one, ain't she?

Get ready to have some fun, boys!

She opened her eyes, clinging to the top of the mirror and fighting to steady her breathing. The mantra came out in ragged breaths, 'Close your eyes, count to ten, do that and things will be fine again...' she repeated until her breathing evened out and the tightness in her chest faded. After pulling her hair into a high ponytail, she walked out the bathroom...only to find Subaru sat on her bed with an inquisitive stare.

'You're up early.' He said, looking her up and down with his one visible eye.

'So are you...' She barely acknowledged him, walking past him to retrieve her running trainers from under the dressing table and then her phone and headphones from her backpack. 'Thought you'd be in your coffin at this hour...' She mumbled with a smirk, flopping onto the chair and pulling her trainers on, tying the laces in record time.

'Thought you'd still be asleep, considering how tired you seemed yesterday...' He said, his eyes following her around the room as she moved at a hurried pace. 'Where do you think you're going?'

She turned to him, hands on her hips. 'I'm going for a run around the lake I saw through my window. Is there an issue?'

He blinked, watching as she plugged her headphones into her phone. 'You do realise it's 7:30am? What kind of idiot gets up at this hour to go for a run?'

'Someone who cares about keeping fit and being healthy. After all...' she plugged one headphone into her right ear, smirking at him this time. 'Humans aren't built like vampires.' After a wink, she strode past him, heading for the door.

Subaru stood up, staring at her back. 'Hey...' he said sharply, watching her turn around and look at him with raised eyebrows. '...You'll have a longer run if you go anti-clockwise around the lake. The path's longer...just saying...'

She smiled. 'I'll keep that in mind.'

And with that, she was out the door.

Eve didn't realise how much she missed running alone until she found herself rushing through the woodland path towards the lake. The crisp air was the perfect way to distract her from the ever-accumulating sweat on her skin and the music blasting in her ears helped to lock the real world out for just a little while. She cherished that as the lyrics of one of her favourite songs began flooding her ears.

All smiles, I know what it takes to fool this town.
I'll do it til the sun goes down,
and all through the nighttime, oh yeah.
Oh yeah, I'll tell you what you want to hear,
Put my sunglasses on while I shed a tear,
It's never the right time, yeah.

She huffed out a breath when she reached the edge of the lake, remembering what Subaru said and shrugging her shoulders.

'I haven't had a chance to do a run this long in a while, so why not?'

Turning to her right, she steadied herself at an even pace, letting the song urge her on.

I put my armour on, I'll show you how strong I am.
I put my armour on I'll show you that I am.

I'm unstoppable,
I'm a Porsche with no brakes,
I'm invincible,
Yeah I win every single game.
I'm so powerful,
I don't need batteries to play,
I'm so confident,
Yeah I'm unstoppable today.

Unstoppable today, unstoppable today,
Unstoppable today, unstoppable today.

Eve took a moment to let her eyes wander about the scenery, admiring the lake as it began to sparkle in the now fully risen sun, almost wanting to jump into the likely freezing water.

Break down, only alone I will cry on out,
You'll never see what's hiding out,
Hiding out deep down, yeah.
I know, I've heard that to let your feelings show,
Is the only way to make friendships grow
But I'm too afraid now, yeah.

As she got closer to the left half of the lake, the dull ache in her legs began to turn into a throb and her feet felt sweaty inside her trainers.

I put my armour on, I'll show you how strong I am,
I put my armour on, I'll show you that I am.

I'm unstoppable,
I'm a Porsche with no brakes,
I'm invincible,
Yeah I win every single game.
I'm so powerful,
I don't need batteries to play,
I'm so confident,
Yeah I'm unstoppable today.

Unstoppable today unstoppable today
Unstoppable today unstoppable today.
Unstoppable today unstoppable today
Unstoppable today unstoppable today.

Her eyes honed in on the entrance to the lake. She was over halfway around.

'Come on, Eve, keep pushing...'

I put my armour on, I'll show you how strong I am.
I put my armour on, I'll show you that I am.

I'm unstoppable,
I'm a Porsche with no brakes,
I'm invincible,
Yeah I win every single game.
I'm so powerful,
I don't need batteries to play,
I'm so confident,
Yeah I'm unstoppable today.

Unstoppable today, unstoppable today
unstoppable today, unstoppable today.

As the song ended, she found herself turning back on the path, heading back towards the mansion. She smiled to herself, tightening her ponytail in one swift movement and quickening her pace in a straight sprint towards her new residence.

The moment Eve walked through the door, she was greeted by a smirking Laito leaning against one of the pillars littering the foyer.

'Hey there, Little Bitch...' He said, tipping his hat and eying the sweaty skin on her arms.

'Hello, Laito. Something I can help you with?' Eve asked, pulling her headphones out of her ears and wrapping them into a tight coil.

Laito chuckled, moving beside her as she walked towards the staircase. 'I'm just checking on you, making sure that you settled in. I see that you've been for a run, although I could smell you the minute you returned...' His smirk widened, and he went from staring at her arms to eyeing her neck. 'All that sweat only enhances your natural scent. It's truly…intoxicating.'

Eve sighed, turning to face him. 'Don't even think about it. I already made my choice. If you try anything I'll throttle you the same way I did your brother...'

Laito snickered, moving in front of her and stopping her in her tracks by grabbing her arm. 'Oh, you are interesting, Little Bitch. I can't decide if you're stupid or just incredibly naive. Do you honestly believe that you could do that again without there being any consequences? Because let me make one thing perfectly clear to you…' He squeezed her forearm in a vice-like grip, humming to himself as he watched little red blotches begin to under his fingertips. 'As long as you're under this roof, you have no say in what happens to you and if you think that Subaru is going to protect you, then you're a fool.' He practically growled into her ear, and Eve forced the tiny jitter of fear back to the pit of her stomach.

She glared up at Laito, sneering as she spoke. 'You think I don't know that?'

Watching him blink in surprise, she smirked up at him, ignoring the pulsing in her arm. 'The fact that you're standing here insulting my intelligence proves that the only fool around here is you. So, let me make two things clear to you…' She clamped her free hand on top of the one gripping her arm, digging her nails into it and watching him grimace. 'One, I know exactly what living in this house means for me. I've encountered monsters much scarier than you outside these walls, so let it be known that I'm not and will never be afraid of you or your kind…' Ignoring his now confused face, she dug her nails deeper, not caring that she was now drawing blood from the back of his hand. 'Two…I've never wanted or needed anybody to protect me…I know the only one I can count on in this world is myself. Not a God, Not a 'guardian', me!' Her voice echoed around them as she ripped his hand off her, pushing him away and stomping past him.

He sneered at her, grabbing her other arm again and pulling her back towards him. 'You really do have spirit, little bitch…' Pulling her back against his chest, he smirked once again as he looked down at her defiant glare, his words coming out in a slow menacing whisper. 'And I look forward to breaking it.'

'The hell do you think you're doing, pervert?'

Subaru's stare pierced through Laito as he stomped out of the shadows and across the foyer. Though he hated to admit it, his demented half-brother was right: he could smell Eve before she even stepped back into the house. It had him moving through the hallways before he had a chance to realise it, and consequently, he had ended up hearing every word that just came out of Eve's stubborn, brash mouth. While it was weird to think there was another living person more stubborn than him, it was even more strange was Eve's lack of fear when it came to him and his brothers. Last night she was sitting around the table and eating dinner with them as casually as she would be eating with her actual family, then this morning she fell into an apparent routine as if the last twenty-four hours hadn't even happened. Now she's caught in his perverted half-brother's grip and still had the nerve to talk back to him like it didn't matter. But there was one crucial difference between him and Eve that really mattered here, and both he and she knew it as he watched Laito turn and face him, Eve still locked in his one-handed grip.

Laito smirked, tilting his head to the side. 'What a surprise this is, Subaru. Here I thought you'd be sulking in your coffin like always-'

'Take your hands off her.' Subaru growled, stopping right in front of Laito and baring his teeth.

'Take it easy, little bro. Me and little bitch here were just talking-' He didn't get a chance to finish the sentence before Subaru yanked Eve away from him, pulled her tight against his abdomen, and sent a sharp left hook into Laito's cheek.

'This is your only warning: touch my prey again, and I will snap you if half!' His shouting echoed through the foyer as he wrapped his arm around Eve's waist, lifted her off her feet, and stomped up the staircase, leaving Laito kneeling on the floor with a lazy smirk on his face.

'Subaru, will you let me down already?' Eve demanded for the third time, rubbing the hand that wasn't pushing against Subaru's arm over her face to cover the pink tinge on her cheeks. Had she expected Subaru to lose his temper: yes. Was she surprised that he put Laito on his arse: not in the slightest. But to carry her away in the manner he was right now was just…strange.

'Stop complaining already. You should be grateful I got you away from the pervert, you know.' Subaru deadpanned, turning his face slightly away from her.

Frowning, Eve let her arm flop down, leaning against his shoulder. 'I had everything under control-'

'Really? Looked like Laito was about to eat you alive from where I was standing.' Subaru dared to glance at her, surprised to see her sniggering. 'What's so funny?'

''Eat you alive'? Was that supposed to be a vampire pun?' Eve chuckled, only to start frowning mere moments later. 'Wait, were you watching me that whole time?' Seeing him avert his eyes, she tilted her head. 'You were, weren't you?' She scoffed at his silence. 'Typical man. Just can't resist the sight of a woman in gym clothes drenched in sweat-' The words died in her throat as Subaru grimaced at her.

'Don't put me on that pervert's level. I couldn't care less about that crap…' As much as he wanted to believe those words, he couldn't deny that Eve was quite easy on the eyes. Such a thought has crossed his mind when he first saw her last night, but her mouth and behaviour had come out of left field so suddenly that he'd been too pissed off to ponder it further. And doing so now would only confuse and piss him off even more, so he settled for a scoff of his own. 'I only came down there to make sure you had come back.'

'Why wouldn't I?' The question left Eve's lips before she could force it back down, and now it was her turn to avert her gaze as she cleared her throat. 'I mean, you're all vampires, so running would just be pointless, wouldn't it?' She tried to keep her voice as even as possible as she looked over Subaru's shoulder to hide a now more noticeable blush.

Hearing the blood rushing around her face, Subaru fought to suppress a smirk as he hoisted her slightly higher, feeling her cling to his shirt to steady herself. 'At least you're smart enough to realise that. Took Yui weeks before she finally accepted her fate.'

'How long has Yui been here?' Eve asked, looking down at Subaru. 'Come to think of it, why is she here?' She added, craning her neck to stare at him.

'She's a sacrificial bride, gifted to us by her church. Her blood is what makes her special. High-quality blood is what gives us vampires strength, and blood as pure as hers makes her a prize most vampires would do anything to win...' His voice trailed off and he gritted his teeth.

'Most vampires?' Eve echoed, raising her eyebrows. She felt him huff as he stopped and turned his face to hers.

'Those invested in becoming all-powerful, like those vying to be the ruler of all vampires.' He stated, his stare unwavering. 'Idiots like Ayato and Reiji who are desperate to prove something.' He paused to open the door to Eve's room, pushing it open with one of his feet.

As moved further into the room, Eve couldn't help but think aloud. 'You aren't interested in any of that, are you?' She asked, letting go of his shirt and letting her arm hang by her side.

'It's pointless. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't do it.' He snapped, stopping at the end of the bed. 'Enough questions, I'm tired of talking.'

Rolling her eyes, Eve tilted her head. 'Whatever. Now, will you please put me down? We're out of danger, you know.'

Furrowing his eyebrows, Subaru loosened his arm, letting Eve's body slip down the side of his own. As her toes touched the floor, he felt her body slump and saw her knees start to buckle and quickly replaced his arm around her before she could wobble anymore. He couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him as he saw her bewildered face. 'Humans are weak as ever I see. Why do you think I carried you in the first place? I could see your legs quivering when you came back in, stupid. Guess you couldn't handle that longer run-' He was stopped abruptly by the sharp jab of Eve's elbow into his stomach that sent him stumbling one way while Eve semi-gracefully landed on the end of her bed.

Raising her eyebrows, she leaned on one elbow, eying Subaru, who was hunched over with a hand clutching his stomach. 'That didn't hurt, did it? Guess this 'weak little human' isn't that weak after all, is she?'

'That was a cheap shot. I could've dropped you, idiot.' He huffed, standing up straight and shaking his head at Eve.

'Look, I've been going on runs long before I came here, do you really think I've never dealt with shaky legs?' She shook her head, kicking her trainers off her feet and rolling her ankles. 'Though I didn't anticipate that path being so rough on the joints.' It took significant effort to keep from wincing and grimacing at the throbbing in her muscles.

Subaru watched her as she hoisted herself further onto the bed and began rubbing circles into her calves. She was unusually well-toned for such an otherwise petite girl. Despite only having about a foot on Yui at most, her arms were sleek and there was a good amount of muscle around her shoulders too.

'That means her blood will be…NO. Stop that thought right now!'

'Subaru?'

He looked up to see Eve staring at him with raised eyebrows and wide eyes. The hand that was rubbing her leg is now hovering above her knee while the other was propped up on the bed beside her. Had he been staring? How long for?

Eve blinked, tilting her head to the right. 'Something up?'

Subaru grimaced, turning away slightly. 'I'm fine. Just shut up.' He turned back to face her at the sound of rustling and shuffling only to find Eve standing in front of him with a sour look on her face.

'I'll talk as and when I choose to, thank you very much. So, you can deal with it like a grown-up, or get the hell out-'

In a flash she was against the wall at the side of the room with Subaru towering above her, his arms keeping her in place while he glowered at her. 'Don't you ever talk back to me again! Or do you want me to hurt you?' He shouted, leaning his face down closer to her neck.

Eve scowled back, shaking her head. 'Bold of you to assume you could. Or that you're as intimidating as you think.' She quipped, folding her arms, and lolling against the wall. 'I told your brother, and I'll tell you. I'll never fear you, nor will I need your protection. So, stop wasting your time trying.' She added, standing up straight and pushing a hand against Subaru's chest.

Subaru gripped her wrist without hesitation, stepping back and throwing her towards the bed. Seeing her stumble to the floor, he stomped over to her, kneeling above her and taking hold of her chin. 'I'll make you fear me if I have to.' He growled, yanking her head to the side, and sniffing her neck. 'Maybe you'll understand your place after this.' Without another word, he sunk his fangs into her neck.

Eve cringed as her neck began to burn up. It felt as though two molten nails had just punctured her skin, and she could feel her head start to spin as Subaru sealed his lips around the area and began to swallow. She reached her hand out towards the bedpost only to have it pinned to the side of her body a second later. It took everything she had to keep a straight face as Subaru let go, looking down at her with a trail of her blood running from the corner of his lips.

He stared down at her, still gripping her hand. 'Get it now? I can do what I want with you, whenever I want to. You're mine to use for food…' He paused, leaning down so he was nose-to-nose with her. '…until the day you die.'

'Then you're going to be waiting a long time.' She replied, ramming one of her knees into his side and rolling out from underneath him. Scrambling up to her feet, she braced herself for his retaliation, ignoring the ache in her neck and keeping her focus fixed on the boy in front of her.

'I can't freeze again. I won't.'

Standing up, Subaru moved to grab her again, only for his hand to freeze mid-reach.

'Not good. My throat is on fire…I need…NO! Stop it!'

'Seems I picked an ideal time to interrupt.'

Eve and Subaru glanced towards the door to find Reiji standing there, holding a bundle of clothing. 'I trust you slept well, then?'

'I did... thank you. I was going to come and talk to you later, but it seems you found me first.' Eve responded, frowning at the question and Reiji's behaviour. He seemed to not care about Subaru's presence.

'Very good. It's important that as prey, you keep yourself fit and well…' He paused for a moment, likely catching Eve's eye roll before continuing. 'Speaking of which, I just got off the phone with our father. I am satisfied with allowing you to continue with your regular fitness schedule, so long as you are escorted there and back. Such a duty will fall on Subaru's shoulders.'

'What? Why me?!' Subaru yelled, throwing his hands up in the air.

Reiji turned to glare at him. 'As your prey, it's up to you to keep a close eye on her. Father has allowed her to maintain these habits for a reason and therefore you will accompany her.' Ignoring Subaru's irritated growl, he turned back to Eve, he handed her the bundle of clothing. 'I took the liberty of obtaining your uniform for you, and Father informed me he's made all the necessary arrangements for your transfer.'

Eve frowned, looking down at the uniform. 'Transfer?'

'You'll be attending night school with us from now on. Father has taken the liberty of enrolling you himself. Yui will help you out with anything you need.' With that, Reiji excused himself with a nod, leaving Subaru and Eve alone once more.

Sighing, Eve turned away, throwing the uniform on the bed, and grabbing some clothes from the draws. 'If you don't mind, I'd prefer to shower in peace.'

Tutting, Subaru turned away from her. 'Whatever. I was getting bored anyway.' He strode away, stopping and turning around once he reached the door. 'I'll be back for more later, so prepare yourself…' he stared into Eve's eyes, a devious smirk on his lips. '…I plan to punish you for talking back to me.'

Without another word, he vanished before Eve's eyes.

Eve smirked as the door to Yui's bedroom opened, revealing her beaming form clad in her pink sweater and brown shorts. 'Oh, Eve, hi! Um, come in.' She spluttered, moving aside so Eve could step inside. Both girls made their way over to Yui's bed, Yui crawling to sit by the pillows while Eve sat cross-legged at to foot of the bed, uniform clutched in one hand. 'So, what's up?'

'Yeah, sorry to barge in so suddenly, it's just…' She nodded her head towards the uniform, an awkward smile on her lips. 'There's so much to this uniform…and I may or may not suck at dressing smartly…' She chuckled, tilting her head and letting some of her wavy hair fall over her face.

Yui smiled. 'No, no, it's OK! Let me go grab my school clothes then I can show you.' She shuffled off the bed and scuttled across the room to her own wardrobe, pulling her uniform off the hanger and wandering towards the bathroom. 'I'll be back in a moment. You can change here if you like.'

Eve nodded, watching Yui wander into the bathroom before standing up and ridding herself of her tank top and jeans. As she pulled the pristine white shirt onto her shoulders, her eyes fell on the scar again. She tried to move her hands to button up the shirt, but they remained hovering over the middle of her stomach. The light from the chandelier reflected in the mirror made it look even redder than she knew it was and her mind wandered once more. One minute she was walking through the streets, the next she was in the alley. For a moment it was black, then all she could see were hands pawing at her and wide grins hovering above her. First, it was cold, then her body was on fire as pain racked through it. Then she went cold again, becoming dizzier by the second. She didn't realise she was swaying until she felt a pair of tiny hands grip her shoulders.

'What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?!'

Eve turned at the sound of Yui's voice, blinking as her confused and frightened pink irises pierced through her. Shaking her head, she forced a smile, placing a hand on Yui's shoulder. 'I'm fine. Just more tired than I thought…'

Yui frowned, tilting her head. 'Subaru bit you, didn't he?' Seeing Eve shrug her shoulders, she nodded to herself. 'He can be…aggressive sometimes, but it's kinda weird...'

'Why's that?' Eve asked, frowning and leaning against the dressing table.

'Because he's never seemed interested in feeding…full stop, really. He's only sucked my blood once since I've been here.' Yui said, folding her arms and humming to herself.

'Huh…' Eve raised her eyebrows, tapping her fingers against the desk. 'Well, it's my fault anyway. I did antagonise him a bit and well…you can guess what he did next.'

Nodding, Yui smiled up at Eve. 'Well, as long as you're OK…'

'I am, don't worry.' Eve said, smiling back and reaching down to grab the skirt. Her shirt swayed slightly with her movements, revealing the rest of her torso to the light.

Yui's eyes went wide. 'Oh my god, what happened to you?'

Eve swallowed hard, cursing herself for not holding the shirt shut as she stood up straight, keeping her smile wide. 'Relax, Yui, It's a birthmark. My dad had one similar.' The lie fell so easily from her lips...it was laughable. 'Anyway, let's sort my uniform fiasco out so you can go to bed.'

Yui only nodded, turning to the mirror, and waiting for Eve's go-ahead. The next half an hour consisted of idle chatter, frustrated sighs, and light laughter as Eve followed Yui's directions for tying the bows on her shirt. To say the least, she hated the uniform. The frills, the skirt, the girly bows, none of it was her. Still, at least she only had to wear it at night: she wouldn't be caught dead walking around like this in the day.

After a few successes without guidance, Eve redressed herself in her normal clothes and gave Yui a side hug. 'Thanks for the help. Guess I'll see you tomorrow.' Before she could leave the room, Yui walked after her, tugging at the back of her shirt to stop her.

'Eve…about what I saw…what I said...' Yui started, keeping her eyes low as Eve turned around. She blinked in surprise as she felt Eve's hand pat her on the head, lifting her eyes to see Eve smiling at her.

'Don't worry about it. But let's keep that between us, yeah?' Eve responded, ruffling her hair, and moving out the door before Yui could reply.

Speed walking back to her bedroom, Eve slammed the door behind her, locking it and tossing the uniform on the chair by the dressing table.

'Damn it! Of all the times to have…you're a fucking idiot, Eve.' She whispered, half-heartedly slapping herself.

After kicking off her slippers, she flopped back against the bed, covering her face and willing sleep to come to her. She needed it. Not only to forget about her fuck up in Yui's bedroom but to prepare herself for whatever 'punishment' she knew Subaru had planned for her.

'Something tells me I need to savour every wink of sleep I can get here…'

Hey all! Sorry I've not updated for a while, literally finished assignments for this year just under two weeks ago and been trying to get myself organised in terms of writing and planning these stories. I'm hoping to post every week from now on but depending on work and other stuff, that might not happen consistently, but I shall do my best for you! Thank you for your continued support with this story and my other stories and I shall see you in the next chapter :)

Much love

Blossom99 3